Pope Francis Met Privately With Kim Davis and Encouraged Her to “Stay Strong”  —  Washington, DC - Media is buzzing about the Pope's comments in support of conscientious objection and whether he knows about the Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk of Court who was jailed for six days for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Whatever you think of Planned Parenthood, this is a terrible and dishonest chart  —  On Tuesday morning, Congress held a hearing on Planned Parenthood, as conservative Republicans try to build the case for defunding the organization after a pro-life group released a series of “sting” videos critical of the organization.

Paul on Cruz: He's pretty much done for in the Senate  —  Rand Paul on Tuesday had a blunt message for his presidential rival and fellow Republican senator Ted Cruz: You're a hack.  —  In no uncertain terms, Paul called out Cruz for trying — and failing — to disrupt GOP leadership's efforts …

‘They are ready’  —  Russian airstrikes in Syria could happen at any time, a U.S. official with knowledge of the latest intelligence told CNN this week.  —  “They could start at any moment,” the official said.  “They are ready.”  —  After several days of Russian familiarization flights …

Bill Clinton: Donald Trump is ‘fact-free’  —  Washington (CNN)Bill Clinton hit Republican presidential contender Donald Trump for running a “fact-free” campaign, defending his wife Hillary Clinton in an interview Tuesday.  —  The former president touted his wife's accomplishments …

Last Slide  —  Rep. Jud McMillin, a rising star in the state's Republican Party, abruptly resigned Tuesday.  —  The Indianapolis Star has learned that the surprise resignation came after a sexually explicit video was sent via text message from McMillin's cell phone.

Watch: Honey bees swarm deputy's patrol car with him stuck inside  —  PAULS VALLEY, Okla. - Drivers along a busy interstate may need to take a detour because of an unusual accident.  —  Shortly after 1 p.m., witnesses reported seeing a truckload of honeybees turned over on I-35.

Donald Trump's saving grace: Televangelists … Donald Trump has found his kind of Christians.  —  In a bid to consolidate support among evangelicals and keep his momentum from ebbing, Trump is courting charismatic televangelists who believe God wants you to be rich.  —  Story Continued Below

U.S. troops dispatched to Kunduz to help Afghan forces  —  KABUL — Special forces from the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan fought Taliban militants early Wednesday after being dispatched to the northern city of Kunduz to help Afghan forces re-take it from insurgents who seized it earlier this week, a coalition spokesman said.

For Hill Republicans, the glass ceiling is shatter-proof … Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers found out what generations of Republican women before her have discovered: The glass ceiling on Capitol Hill is real.  —  The Washington Republican's bid for House majority leader was over before it even started.

Chicago's Problem With Gun Violence  —  Over the weekend in Chicago, the Cubs clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 despite losing three straight games.  The University of Chicago prepared to host a campaign event for Bernie Sanders, who attended the school in the 1960s.

Back to Science Class for the Science Guy  —  Bill Nye is supposed to be “the science guy.”  Recently he published a video on YouTube purporting to inform viewers of what science tells us about abortion.  Nye claims that laws against abortion reflect “a deep scientific lack of understanding.”

Anchorage Assembly passes LGBT rights law  —  UPDATE, 11:55 p.m.: In a 9-2 vote, the Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday night made it illegal in the city to discriminate over sexual orientation or gender identity.  —  The new local civil rights ordinance, the first of its kind in Alaska …